Why is the JAOA so lame?

[sophiejane]

Just wondering why there is so little published research in our professional journal. I know money is the big issue, but it seems like every issue, one of the biggest "articles" is this self-analytical, semi-scientific, semi-psychotherapeutic fluff about how DOs are perceived, why our graduates are going ACGME for residencies, etc.

It just looks bad. Like all we have to discuss with the scientific community are our internal problems and how patients love that we are such great communicators.

I know there are fewer DOs who go into research, but really. It seems to get thinner and less substantial every issue.

Where is the research love, people??

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[tkim]

Try here:

http://www.hsc.unt.edu/orc/default.asp

 

[coreyw]

Is it only US osteopaths who can contribute to the JAOA? Or could non-American osteopathic researchers submit articles? Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and Victoria University here in Oz both do excellent neuromusculoskeletal medicine.

 

[Old brain]

Originally posted by tkim6599
Try here:

http://www.hsc.unt.edu/orc/default.asp

I tried to email the addy on the site but it was returned undeliverable.

 

[harry]

Unfortunately, the current big wigs in our proffession are so hung up on keeping its graduates in the AOA. Being a member of the AOA requires you to do an osteopathic internship and if you dare go the allopathic route, you are shunned. This type of attitude keeps some of the best DOs in the proffession from making any contibutions to the AOA or its journal. I am going to start an allopathic residency this summer and, although I would have liked to be a member of the AOA, I cannot. The sacrifice in the quality of training in my particular situation was not worth it. My DO degree alone is not good enough to participate in this reli...organization. Perhaps in the future, when the old dogs of the AOA retire, some changes will be made. For now, the JAOA will continue to be lame and DOs who participate in credible research will publish in credible journals.

 

[Dr JPH]

Originally posted by harry
Unfortunately, the current big wigs in our proffession are so hung up on keeping its graduates in the AOA. Being a member of the AOA requires you to do an osteopathic internship and if you dare go the allopathic route, you are shunned. This type of attitude keeps some of the best DOs in the proffession from making any contibutions to the AOA or its journal. I am going to start an allopathic residency this summer and, although I would have liked to be a member of the AOA, I cannot. The sacrifice in the quality of training in my particular situation was not worth it. My DO degree alone is not good enough to participate in this reli...organization. Perhaps in the future, when the old dogs of the AOA retire, some changes will be made. For now, the JAOA will continue to be lame and DOs who participate in credible research will publish in credible journals.

I think you bring up an important point regarding the AOA. There does indeed seem to be a movement towards the younger generation of DOs wanting to "step up" so to speak and take the reigns.

I urge younger people in the osteopathic profession to not be soiled at the idea of working to improve our profession as a whole. Medicine is conservative.

What osteopathy lacks in conservativeness in regards to close-mindedness, sometimes we gain back in other areas. Don't give up on the profession. We are growing fast and will need the best and brightest out there doing research, teaching and bringing patients up to speed on what we can offer them as great physicians, and in some cases, great manipulators. (the good kind of manipulation )

 

[Pilot]

My wife doesn't even ask anymore. That journal goes straight into the trash within 2 minutes of removal from the mailbox. Same for the state publication.

However, I do read every issue of American Family Physician and Annals of Emergency Medicine. Both have very good and timely information.

 

[drusso]

Originally posted by sophiejane
Just wondering why there is so little published research in our professional journal. I know money is the big issue, but it seems like every issue, one of the biggest "articles" is this self-analytical, semi-scientific, semi-psychotherapeutic fluff about how DOs are perceived, why our graduates are going ACGME for residencies, etc.

It just looks bad. Like all we have to discuss with the scientific community are our internal problems and how patients love that we are such great communicators.

I know there are fewer DOs who go into research, but really. It seems to get thinner and less substantial every issue.

Where is the research love, people??

In part because DO's don't view it as *THEIR* primary research journal. We have no one to blame except ourselves. It's not the AOA's fault, your Dean's fault, or the big bad wolf's fault. It took years to get screwed up (go to the library and read JAOA's from the 40's, 50's, and 60's---the quality was much better---and it will take years to unscrew. It's the whole profession's fault.

I've published two pretty good articles in the JAOA and have submitted a third on treatment credibility, placebo effect, and OMT. Again, if the profession wants the JAOA to be a relevant source of information, then they must make it relevant by publishing in it! It would help if the JAOA would publish summary articles about manual medicine from other journals...It would also be nice if the whole thing was moved to an online format like NEJM or JAMA...

 

[lwestfall]

Originally posted by drusso
...It would also be nice if the whole thing was moved to an online format like NEJM or JAMA...

Speak of the devil! Just saw this: http://do-online.osteotech.org/index.cfm?PageID=pub_jaoaonlinelaunch

 

[coreyw]

Earlier, I asked whether non-AOA researcher-members could publish in the JAOA and nobody replied.

Quite apart from wanting to be the centre of attention, the reason I asked is that there is work being done in the fields of manual and neuromusculoskeletal medicine outside of the AOA realm that the American profession might benefit from being exposed to. (And yes, I realise that the American osteopathic profession isn't solely or even mainly concerned with OMM)

A lot of the work being done on manipulative medicine is ending up in chiropractic journals that have earnt a good international reputation, such as JMPT (including some from within the osteopathic, physiotherapy and broader medical professions) . For all that chiropractic might get on one's nerves (pun intended!), it's surpassed the global osetopathic community in the research arena... just by having one or two international peer-reviewed journals of good standing for starters.

Perhaps part of the problem is that the AOA is too insular, dare I say it: too Americo-centric. There's now a worldwide 'NMS' (read 'osteopathic) association... does it have a journal?

Yours heretically...

 

[Adapt]

Originally posted by lwestfall
Speak of the devil! Just saw this: http://do-online.osteotech.org/index.cfm?PageID=pub_jaoaonlinelaunch

Wow that is awesome. They actually have many full text articles from the older issues.

 

[Adapt]

I would also like to add I saw a few familiar names. I saw an article by Dr. Wagner (DocWagner) and three articles by Dr. Russo (Drusso) from SDN. I also saw one by Dr. Gimpel, a DO, and one of my interviewers at Georgetown.

I have to say it was a surprise to see that and the journal itself has many informative articles about DOs.

 

[brianjc]

The problem is that the JAOA is basically a manipulation journal. That's great but there is much more to medicine than just snap crackle and pop!

Also, this is coming from a past AOA president's mouth and from the current third vice president of the AOA: Even if you didn't do a D.O. training program you can still be a member of the AOA. Many D.O.'s that do allopathic training programs don't know this. I would encourage all D.O.'s to be apart of the AOA even if you think the leadership is bogus (like me!). In doing so you can force change and be a voice of reason (the younger generation).

 

[coreyw]

Originally posted by brianjc
The problem is that the JAOA is basically a manipulation journal. That's great but there is much more to medicine than just snap crackle and pop!

Also, this is coming from a past AOA president's mouth and from the current third vice president of the AOA: Even if you didn't do a D.O. training program you can still be a member of the AOA. Many D.O.'s that do allopathic training programs don't know this. I would encourage all D.O.'s to be apart of the AOA even if you think the leadership is bogus (like me!). In doing so you can force change and be a voice of reason (the younger generation).

The JAOA's coverage of OMM doesn't come within a mile of a host of other journals devoted to manipulative and manual medicine.

From an outsider's point of view, it's just another medical journal.

 

[DOnut]

Coreyw,

I am pretty sure that non-American osteopathic researchers can submit articles. I know that there are many osteopaths and physiotherapists down there who do phenominal neuromusculoskeletal research. Just pick up the journal "Spine" and you will read neuromusculoskeletal research that blows the JAOA out of the water. Coreyw, if you know of anyone who would like to submit an article to the JAOA, please encourage them to. You are absolutely right when you say that we need to work with the international community more.

 

[coreyw]

Originally posted by DOnut
Coreyw,

I am pretty sure that non-American osteopathic researchers can submit articles. I know that there are many osteopaths and physiotherapists down there who do phenominal neuromusculoskeletal research. Just pick up the journal "Spine" and you will read neuromusculoskeletal research that blows the JAOA out of the water. Coreyw, if you know of anyone who would like to submit an article to the JAOA, please encourage them to. You are absolutely right when you say that we need to work with the international community more.

Thanks DOnut, I'll do that.

BTW All... what scope is there, do you think, for the JAOA to become the lead journal in the osteopathic field internationally? What publication currently has that reputation?

 

[Brachial_Plexus]

Stop this nonsense, guys! Of course the JAOA serves a useful purpose............


I use it to line my birdcage every week!

 

[DD214_DOC]

Can DOs who did an allo residency join the AMA?

Medical students at accredited medical schools in the United States, Guam, Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
Resident physicians who are attending an accredited residency or fellowship program in the United States, Guam, Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
Physicians who have earned their Doctor of Medicine or Doctor of Osteopathy degree and are residing and practicing in the United States, Guam, Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.

nevermind

 

[Adapt]

Originally posted by JKDMed
Can DOs who did an allo residency join the AMA?

Yes. My DO physician who did his family practice residency at the drew/martin luther king hospital is part of the AMA.

 

[Pilot]

You can be a member of the AMA as a student attending either an MD or DO school as well.